It takes 2

 

I like flamingoes. One of the highlights for me at our local bird park is the flamingo pool. I am so fascinated by how a bird can look gawky but graceful, gaudy yet beautiful at the same time.

Last week, while clearing some old stuff, i came across an old sketchbook of my daughter’s. Half the bulky artbook was unused and turning yellow. Keeping her sketches intact, i had the unused pages cut out, hoping to use them somehow.

While looking for some paper to practise painting my flamingoes, i suddenly thought of using one of the pages. The paper was old, thin and not meant for watercolor. Surprisingly, i enjoyed dabbling on it because i knew that even if i ruined the painting, i wouldn’t feel the pinch since the paper wasn’t of good quality. I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, i played around with the colours and almost made a hole in the centre of the paper.

I learnt a valuable lesson that day.

When i am aware and cherish Christ’s love for me, i would make the extra effort to love Him in return. But the moment i take His love for granted, i fail to give a thought to whatever i do or say, even if it hurts Him. It is sad but true for me.

I can take a lesson or two from watching the flamingoes. Sometimes, when two flamingoes come together and they happen to lift their necks up simultaneously, they create that gorgeous heart-shape that never fails to remind me to… love.

“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”   Rom 7:18-19  (NIV)

NB: Among a group of flamingoes, these 2 flamingoes seemed to be having much fun nudging each other.       By R